Sunday, April 19, 2015

Cardiovascular Research: Deciphering causes of sudden death ♦ Better function after stroke if clots removed ♦ Cognitive problems are common after cardiac arrest

Cognitive problems are common after cardiac arrest  Half of all patients who survive a cardiac arrest experience problems memory and attention. Surprisingly, however, a control group had largely the same level of problems. This suggests that it is not only the cardiac arrest and the consequent lack of oxygen to the brain that is the cause of the patients’ difficulties.
Game-changer for stroke treatment: Better function after stroke if clots removed Patients with severe strokes had far better outcomes when they were treated using not only a drug to dissolve the blood clot causing the stroke, but also with a procedure to grab, dislodge and remove the clot, according to an international study.
Should they stay or should they go? Study finds no harm from hospital policies that let families observe CPR  When a hospital patient’s heart stops, the drama starts, as doctors and nurses work furiously at resuscitation. Some hospitals allow family members to watch, while the majority do not. Now, a study has shown for the first time on a national scale that patients do just as well after a cardiac arrest either way
Applied physics helps decipher causes of sudden death  Sudden cardiac death accounts for approximately 10% of natural deaths, most of which are due to ventricular fibrillation. Each year it causes 300,000 deaths in the United States. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that the transition to calcium alternans, an arrhythmia associated with increased risk of sudden death, has common features with the magnetic ordering of metals. This new finding improves our understanding of the physical causes of sudden death and will advance the design of drugs to prevent it.

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